A game every other year up to four games and DLC and expansions in between is a lot of Destiny. It will be interesting to see if Bungie can stick to a timetable after being able to pretty much take their time for all their previous games.

So Bungie split with Microsoft after they demanded nothing but Halo games for 10 years. They immediately jump into bed with Activision, who are demanding nothing but games from a new franchise for 10 years. Hmm.

Bungie is developing a futuristic FPS multiplayer oriented, whose code name is Destiny (what we already knew). The game would come out late 2013 on Xbox 360 and Xbox 720, and the next year on PC and Playstation 4. Suites (Destiny 2, Destiny 3, Destiny 4) come out on PC, X720 and PS4 late 2015, late 2017 and late 2019.

On top of that, Bungie released a second series of games: the stand-alones in the same universe as Destiny, bearing the code name "Comet". Again, four games are scheduled for 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020. In other words, Activision uses the same technique as for Call of Duty, with a new episode every two years, while remaining within the same franchise.

Activision can load other studios to work on new projects in the franchise, but only with the agreement of Bungie. Bungie will manage the multi games until 2022. If Bungie meets all its contractual commitments, the studio will retain the intellectual property of the franchise (something that Infinity Ward never got). Thus they may be edited Destiny 5 from another distributor from 2022 if your heart tells them. Activision has however the right to first look at any project Bungie.

Activision allow Bungie to place 5% of its staff on a project "Marathon", apparently a remake of the first FPS for the studio. If the franchise Destiny reported at least $ 375 million, Bungie will put 10% of its employees on the project and publish it directly. And if the franchise reached $ 750 million in revenue, Marathon will harvest 25% of employees of Bungie. Meanwhile, it's still a side project.

Speaking of levels of income, here are the bonuses that could affect the performance of Bungie's next games:

If the project comes at a time late in 2013: $ 7.5 million. If the score Gamerankings / Metacritic is at least 90%: $ 2.5 million. If Destiny reported $ 750 million a year on Activision: $ 25 million. If Destiny is worth 1 billion dollars a year on Activision: another 25 million. Royalties (on the earnings of Activision, after reimbursement of development costs): 20% base, 35% if the game pays off at least $ 400 million.

Still a number? OK: the first game of the budget is 140 million, including marketing. It is in the order of magnitude budgets of Call of Duty games, and well above many AAA games.

Activision reserves the right to terminate the contract:

If Halo Reach did not reach 80% on Metacritic, or if Halo Reach did not reach the six million sales in six months. These clauses are obviously outdated now, but were present in spring 2010. If a Destiny does not reach 5 million in six months At any time and without reason after 2 Comet will be released (late 2016). It offers a way out to Activision in case his new franchise would not work more than that. If the contract ends Activision, Bungie gets all rights to the franchise and games. Activision may however distribute the games already out for another two years. If Bungie merges with or is acquired by another company before 2016, the studio should pay in the 10 and 20% of the purchase / merger with Activision.

To avoid a second case Infinity Ward, Activision sign new contracts with employees of Bungie. Leads were required to sign a non-compete clause (which prevents them from another home game studio). Moreover, if one third of the studio leaving Bungie, Activision can pop the card "critical risk". The "critical risk" as defined in the contract, this is when things go awry: employee departures, delays or game bugged and bad. If Activision declares a "critical risk", the publisher reserves the right to take Bungie's intellectual property as the "Destiny Game Engine" developed for the occasion ...

Finally, having no confidence Activision, the publisher requires that neither Valve or Epic, Gearbox or are contacted to develop potential ports of games of the franchise. Oh, and all the easter eggs in games content from Bungie will be subject to approval of Activision.

$140 million to launch the whole thing and then PC gamers still have to wait a year is where they lost me for the moment, and if they're openly talking about the consoles after the current set then that doesn't sell me the 360 version either.